Yesterday’s clear January sunshine offered the ideal light for a visit to the Great Hall at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in Smithfield. This North Wing was the first part rebuilt by James Gibbs in his modernisation of the medieval hospital between 1738 and 1769 which delivered the elegantly-proportioned quadrangle at the heart of the complex. Here in the Great Hall three thousand names are recorded of the benefactors who made this possible.
Now an independent charity, Barts Heritage, has been formed to care for the Great Hall and the Hogarth Staircase, and renovate them in time for the nine hundredth anniversary of the hospital in 2023. I was privileged to have these magnificent airy chambers to myself yesterday and record the charismatic patina in advance of their forthcoming restoration.
The staircase painted with murals by William Hogarth
John Soane is recorded among the three thousand names of benefactors
Portrait of St Bartholomew over the fireplace
Looking out onto James Gibbs’ courtyard
Napkins and tablecloths for fancy dinners
The North Wing at St Bartholomew’s Hospital
Remember the Poor’s Box
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